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Messages from the Other Side
Unsolved Mysteries was a television show hosted by Robert Stack that chronicled strange, real life stories. Years ago, I caught an episode about psychic experiences which mentioned a book entitled Always Karen written by Jeanne Walker. In the book, Walker shares her experience contacting her daughter, Karen—who had passed away from cancer at the tender age of 20—from the other side.
Walker and her husband Tom enlisted the help of a medium named Reverend George Daisley shortly after Karen’s death to contact their daughter. Daisley wrote an introduction to the book in which he explained his gift and his role in helping the Walkers. He also played prominently in another book similar in scope called The Other Side, in which he helped Bishop James A. Pike contact his son, Jim who had committed suicide. Both Walker and Pike claimed that their children were still alive in a spirit world after death and that their children could make contact and influence the lives of others.
Automatic Writing
Walker’s initial contact with Karen was just the beginning of an intriguing story. Walker wrote her thoughts and feelings on paper and soon realized that Karen was the one writing them. Through this automatic writing, Karen told her about her new world. “You are to write! I want the world to know that I live, so they will know that their loved ones live.” (Walker 98)
At first, Walker questioned herself, believing it might be her subconscious in action. Her husband Tom convinced her that it didn’t matter. “The pen is writing some most interesting and profound thoughts. If Karen is doing it, then we have a wonderful contact with another plane of life. If it is your subconscious, then I am proud of you. You have hidden talents and depths I never suspected in all these years.” (Walker 97)
Automatic writing is a psychic science. For those not familiar with this phenomenon, here is an explanation of the process. “This [automatic writing] is truly a step beyond, in tapping the subconscious. The operator takes a pencil in hand and lets it inscribe messages or even drawings on a sheet of paper. Very remarkable information, pertaining to the past, present, and future has been obtained through such a procedure. Often, the integrity of the operator is unquestioned, though skeptics have often cast doubt as to the value of the revelations.
“The most remarkable feature of the automatic writing is that it often lives up to the term ‘automatic.’ A gifted person may keep on writing lengthy dissertations, even the manuscripts of entire books, long after they should have tired physically. The hand of the operator seems to be actuated by an outside force, making the results all the more impressive.” (Gibson 341) Walker’s writing began to affirm one thing: her subconscious wasn’t doing the writing. She had connected with her deceased daughter and Karen had a lot to tell her about the state of consciousness and our thoughts.
Manipulating Objects
Pike realized that Jim was contacting him by manipulating objects on earth from the other side. This included multiple bottles of milk that had soured and were capped, books and postcards left in unusual positions, and even burning strands of hair on the bangs of one of their friends. (Pike 74-105)
Once Pike realized what was happening, he consulted the help of a medium. Jim came through in a seance determined to tell his father and everyone else that he lived on. (Pike 370)
The Real World
Karen explained her struggles in life before her death and her new existence to her mother. “I actually came to my new environment, my life after death, on December 17 and remained in a state resembling sleep for some hours.” She also explains that her transition was fast and she entered her spiritual body. (Walker 48) There was a short period when she didn’t know she had died. “Had I not been told, and had it not been for experiencing different people who I knew were ‘dead,’ I would not have known I was not as before. I still looked and felt like the same Karen except that my body was stronger.” (Walker 48)
Jim worked on dealing with his regrets for killing himself and finally reached a sense of peace. “…I’m working real hard at learning that being dead is really being more alive.” (Pike 217) Karen expressed similar thoughts to her mother. “I live in the real world. You don’t.” (Walker 99)
Consciousness
Consciousness is defined as an “awareness of one’s own existence, sensations, thoughts, surroundings, etc.” We all know that when we are born we are conscious, meaning that we are awake. The opposite is the subconscious mind. “The nomenclature to distinguish the two functions of your mind is as follows: The objective and subjective mind, the conscious and subconscious mind, the waking and sleeping mind, the surface self and the deep self, the voluntary mind and the involuntary mind, the male and the female, and many other terms.” (Murphy 23)
Walker continued to question whether she was tapping into only her subconscious until she received confirmation that it really was Karen. Karen began to tell her things that she would not have known, like the sex and physical qualities of her friend’s babies who had not been born. She did this to urge her mother to continue her writing. “We want to get the writing on the way—all of us here. Continue your writing, Mom. It’s coming out fine. It is from me.” (Walker 98)
Jeanne mentioned that prior to Karen’s death she had read Stewart Edward White’s book, The Unobstructed Universe. Karen used her mother’s knowledge of this book to explain the idea of consciousness. “Go back to The Unobstructed Universe. You remember there that you were told that consciousness is the one and only reality in the universe and that all forms of consciousness are in degree. Each form, whether human, animal, plant, electric, or atomic, has its own degree or quality. And all forms of consciousness have shapes or containers, form.” (Walker 101-102)
Power of Our Thoughts
One of the main ideas that Karen shared was that thoughts are more powerful than we think they are, that a thought is an actual object in time and space and can be extremely powerful. She mentioned Jesus’ saying, “love thy neighbor as thyself.” She explained that this tenant was a perfect example of a powerful thought-form that had been carried on for generations. “Many ideas are written and never stand the test of time. Others, like this example are different…It was the fact that this was born as a thought-form of great potential and was sent with tremendous impetus that insured its survival.” (Walker 103)
“A thought is a force, and it is projected. It moves through time and space. It can even become a separate consciousness of its own when it is released from the person who projects it.” (Walker 101-102)
Evolution of the Soul
Both Karen and Jim were excited about their future. Karen continued to study and learn on the other side. Jim wanted to share his excitement about his new life. “I want so much to tell you about a world where everybody is out to create a greater sense of love and harmony.” “…And this is the process of evolution. This is man cleansing himself gradually and continuously, and he evolves and becomes more enlightened. He throws away his props and his shackles, and he works to what is essential. This is what I’ve discovered.” (Pike 384)
-Gibson, Walter B., & Gibson, Litzra R. The Complete Illustrated Book of the Psychic Sciences. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1966
-Murphy, Dr. Joseph. The Power of the Subconscious Mind. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1963
-Pike, James A. The Other Side. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc, 1968
-Walker, Jeanne. Always Karen. New York: Hawthorn Books, Inc., 1975